Machine for opening and preparing fibrous substances



(No Model.) y a snees-shetjm l A. CLARKE SNEL C'. PBRHAM. MAGHINE FUR OPENING AND PREPANING PIBNOUS SUBSIANGBS.-

Nq.s8o,18v. Patented Ma-27,1888.

Wmmses 3 $.11@ ets--Sheen3..` A. CLARKE 85H. G., 1 .BR-HAM.

MAHINE FOR OPENING ANDl PREP-ARING FIBROUS SUBSTANGES.

Y Patented Mar, 27,1888.,

(No Modem.

Wmme@y Bmem N. PETERS. Phnkmlilhomphlr. Washington ILC.

UNITED STATES:

PATENT OFFICE.

ALEEED cLAExEAND rEAvENfc. PEEHAM, E LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FoR OPENING AND PREPARlNG FIBRous susTANcE-s.'v

SPEGll-ICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,187, dated March 27,1888.

'Application tiled April 13, 1885. Serial No. 162,062. (No model.)

r In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front sideelevation of a portion of the evener mechanism of a cotton-opener provided with our improvement, and having the front side of the casing removed to show its construction more 2:- clearly. Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 1 on the line A A. Fig. 3 is a top view ofthe compound levers detached from the other parts. Fig. 4 is a side view of a portion of a cottonopener, showing means whereby the compound V -levers are'connected with the belt of the cone driving-pulleys. Fig. 5 is an end View of a portion of Fig. 4,'showing the same.

R is the upper sectional roller of a cottonevener feed mechanism.

R R are the bottom feed-rollers, between which and the upper roller the cotton is fed to the beater. The roller R is composed of a number of short sections, 1^ r, each capable of moving freely up and down independently in proportion to the varying thickness of the sheet of cotton passing between them and the bottom feed-rolls, R 1t. On top of each section of the roll R is placed a saddle, r', which is held and retainedin a socket in the' end of one of the levers E, each lever E having the saddles of two adjacent sections, 7', thus held in its ends, as shown.

Each of the levers E has midway between its ends, upon its upper side,a wedge-shaped pro- 45 jection, edge uppermost, as shown. Resting upon these projections are the levers D D, each of the latter having notches cut in its lower side near each end to embrace the projections.

On top of the leversD D rests the lever B',

the levers D having similar central projec- `with one of the leve s j by passing through a tions and the lever B similar notches to receive them. All these parts are similar in construction and operation to likeparts shown and described in our said former patent, and 5 are well understood.

In place of the sector and chain mechanism shown in our said former patent, Wenow connect the lever B with the lever A by the bear-` ing-point C of the latterbeing made to rest 6o l v upon the center of lever B', and providing it with a fulcrum, C', supported against the top of the casing M, as shown. This lever A and fulcrum C are bifurcated and extend downward on each side past the levers .B D, as shown. This construction enables the entire lever mechanism to be condensed into a smaller compass without interfering with its freedom of operation, and the lever A', by means of it, serves to h old the levers B D in position, as well as to receive and convey the motion of the divided roll R and system of levers to the belt and cone-pulley mechanism in the usual To the end of the -lever A which projects 75 outside the casing M is attached a rod, a, which connects the lever Ato the lever actuating the belt-shifting forks, andnshifts the belts on the cone-pulleys and regulates the speed of the Y rolls R R R by mechanism substantially' the same as shown in our said former patent.

The lower end of rodV a is Apivoted to the lever I, which is attached to the casing M of the opener by a pivot, t', and has suspended upon its free end the weight S. This lever extends through between the casing M of the opener and the casing M of the cone-pulleys. Toward its outer end a finger, h, extends through the sloth in t e casing M2, and engages O slot in it. This lever j is pivoted to the cas- 9 ing M2 at j and carries on its short end the usual toothed sector, which meshes with the toothed sector upon the short end of the other lever j, which is pivoted at j. The usual pins or ngers project outward from the longer ends of the levers j j upon each side ofthe belt ji, passing around the cone driving-pulleys J J.

The fulcrum C is made adjustable vertically` by means of a set-screw, c', and two set-screws, cz c, passing through slots in the casing M, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 1, into the oppo- ICO feeding more cotton through the machine in a' given time and producing a thicker and heavier lap. As the set-screw c is turned backward or withdrawn, it allows the fulcrum C'. to rise and lowers the opposite end of lever A', carrying rod a, and allows lever I to drop downward, carrying with it leversjj and belt j. rlhe average position of this belt will therefore be lower'upon the cone-pulleys J J' than before, and it will drive the feed-rolls by pulley J' from pulley J slower. By turning the set-screw c in the opposite direction the contrary effect will be produced, and a very1 slight adjustment of the movable fulcrum C' in this way is sufficient to produce an appreciable e'ect upon the speed of the feed-rolls.

It is of course obvious that the arrangement of the rod and lever connections between the outer end of lever A' and the belt j on the cone-pulleys may be varied somewhat without departing from the spirit of our invention of the movable fulcrum.

The bearing-piece C of the lever A, which rests upon the lever B', is made to cross the space between the two parts of the bifurcated end of the lever A', to which it is joined at each end, thus strengthening that part of the lever.

It is of course understood that our invention may be applied to a roll, R, having a greater or less number of divisions r r, in which case the number of levers between levers E E and lever B will vary accordingly; also, that the fulcrum C may be placed entirely above the path of lever B', in which case it need not bebifurcated.

What we claim as new and of our invention 1. In combination with the lower feed-rolls', R'R', and the feed-roll R, the series of levers E D B' and the bifurcated lever A', pressing against its fulcrum at one end and having the fulcrum of lever B' in its bifurcation, and adapted to allow thelevers B D to pass through such bifurcation, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the divided feed-roll R, the series of levers E D B', the adjustable fulcrum C', the lever A', the cone-pulleys J J and their belt j', and a series of intermediate Y actuating rods and levers connecting said lever A and said belt and pulleys, substantially as'described.

3. In combination with the divided feed-rol1 R, the series of levers E D B', the adjustable fulcrum C', its adj usting-screw c', thelever A', and the cone-pulleys .I J' and their belt j", and a series of intermediate actuating rods and levers connecting said lever A' and said belt and pulleys, substantially as described.

ALFRED CLARKE. HAVEN C. PERHAM.

Witnesses:

HOWARD H. ABBOTT, J. W. ANDERSON. 

